2019 Spa and Wellness Trend: Spiritual Pursuits

As an antidote to the social media saturation people experience on a daily basis, spirituality is making a comeback. Many are turning to more esoteric and metaphysical pursuits to counteract the constant connection that keeps them tethered to today’s technology. Spas and wellness centers are introducing a host of spiritually based offerings that help them tap into moments of personal insight, a sense of peace, a higher purpose, and more.

At Spa Montage Los Cabosat the new Montage Los Cabos (Mexico), guests can take part in the Canopy of Stars, the resort’s nightly shaman ceremony. This guided traditional ritual of purification, transformation, and stargazing is led by the resort’s shaman and is designed to help guests connect with their inner selves. In-house spiritual gurus are becoming de riguer at spas. For example, Sunrise Springs Spa Resort(Santa Fe, NM) recently introduced its first spiritual guide, Jessica Ibarra, a Reiki master, a healer in the Mexican healing tradition, and a tarot card reader. In addition, the spa also debuted a new spiritual service menu featuring Reiki ($119, 60 minutes), Spiritual Cleanse ($159, 60 minutes), Spiritual Guidance ($139, 60 minutes), Spiritual Meditation ($129, 60 minutes), and Tarot Card Reading ($99, 60 minutes). “In looking at the mind, body, spirit connection, we felt we weren’t really meeting the spiritual needs of our guests,” says Mara Bouvier, general manager of Sunrise Springs Spa Resort. “We provide unique mindful and wellness programming to our guests through a variety of different modalities, such as breathwork, visual arts, and outdoor recreation. We felt that the addition of our spiritual offerings would round out the experience our guests have come to expect from us.”

At Amira Spaat Amira Resort & Spa (St. George, UT), the menu features a section devoted to Spiritual Connections. There, shaman practitioner Gwen Moon leads many of the offerings, such as The Awakening ($110, 50 minutes), which involves a clearing and infusion of healing energy to revitalize the chakras; The Journey ($110, 50 minutes), featuring shamanic drumming to open pathways to access the dream world along with spirit guides, guardians, and power animals; and The Reading ($110, 50 minutes), a light-hearted card reading.

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“Spa-goers today are looking for more than just pampering; they want a deeper experience that transforms them, mind, body, and spirit,” says Simon Marxer, director of spa and wellbeing at Miraval Group. “By integrating spirituality in our treatments, we can offer our guests more transformational experiences that connect them with something larger than themselves.” Spirit Flight ($475, 1 hour 50 minutes), one of the spa’s most in-demand experiences, is a transformational healing ceremony with Tim Frank, NMD. It is a spiritual smorgasbord of sorts, combining a full-body therapeutic massage with the healing practices of spiritual shamanism and drumming. It also includes acupuncture, craniosacral therapy, and spinal alignment to help renew energy and balance. “Because Miraval is guided by the philosophy of mindfulness, all of our spa treatments incorporate a level of spirituality,” says Marxer. “Our therapists guide our guests in a breathwork practice at the beginning of each treatment, which has a calming effect and places our guests in the present moment.”

The resurgence of spirituality in spas is a testament to its role in health and wellness. “Treatments that are rooted in spirituality have more than just physical benefits,” says Marxer. “These treatments benefit our guests emotionally and mentally by improving clarity, balancing energies, and enhancing mood.”